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THE STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEM

(SIS) GETTING STARTED GUIDE

REV 09/20/2016

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CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................3 

INTRODUCTION TO SIS TERMINOLOGY ...............................................................3 

Academic Structure Terminology .............................................................................................................................. 3 

Diagram: Academic Structure .................................................................................................................................... 5 

Key SIS Terminology .................................................................................................................................................. 6 

SIS Identifiers (IDs) ..................................................................................................................................................... 9 

HOT KEYS AND ACCESS KEYS ..................................................................................11 

List of Hot Keys ......................................................................................................................................................... 11 

List of Access Keys .................................................................................................................................................... 11 

HINTS AND TIPS ............................................................................................................12 

Browser Setup ............................................................................................................................................................ 12 Important! Clearing Your Browser Cache .............................................................................................................. 12 

Configuration Guidelines .......................................................................................................................................... 12 Background ............................................................................................................................................................. 12 Preliminary Steps .................................................................................................................................................... 12 Third Party Popup Blockers .................................................................................................................................... 13 Using a Non-IE Browser ......................................................................................................................................... 13 

Logging In .................................................................................................................................................................. 13 Log in through JointVPN ........................................................................................................................................ 13 First time SIS log in ................................................................................................................................................ 14 

Accessing Online Help ............................................................................................................................................... 15 Six simple steps to context-specific help (Do It! mode) ......................................................................................... 15 For revisiting training topics ................................................................................................................................... 17 

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Introduction

The objective of this training material is to introduce fundamental concepts, terminology, and navigation techniques that enable you to effectively enter, retrieve, and understand data within the Student Information System (SIS). The final section, “Hints and Tips”, provides information that pertains to how to log into the database and use the online Help functionality.

Introduction to SIS Terminology

As with any new system, the implementation of the SIS introduces a variety of new terms, which are defined below:

Academic Structure Terminology

Term Explanation Description

Academic Structure

Academic Structure, comprised of a group of setup tables, is the foundation for all components of the SIS—it represents the University’s logical and physical structure.

Please refer to the “Academic Structure” diagram

Academic Institution

Each academic institution within the system operates independently—has separate and unique course catalogs and schedules of courses, transcripts, student statistics, etc.

The University of Virginia

Career The concept of career organizes:

Integrated rules governing academic activities including calendar; add/drop deadlines, calculation of academic statistics (GPA, credit totals)

Student accounting, tuition, financial aid activities, and other financial processes

The information related to the admission process, including academic program

Graduate

Graduate Business

Law

Medical School

SCPS Non-Credit

Undergraduate

Group The high level entity under which programs, plans, and courses are organized but which does not drive academic or financial functionality.

Architecture

Arts and Sciences

Nursing

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Term Explanation Description

Program The entity within a group to which a student applies and from which a student graduates (closest approximation to the concept of “school” as used in ISIS.).

Arts and Sciences Undergraduate

Arts and Sciences Graduate

Nursing Undergraduate

Nursing Graduate

Plan A student’s area of study, e.g., major or minor, leading to a degree.

BA/English

BA/History

MSN/Nursing

French minor

Certificate in Criminal Justice

Subplan A specialization within a plan. PUBPOL concentration (within BA/Economics)

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Diagram: Academic Structure

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Key SIS Terminology The following table lists several key terms to become familiar with when working in the database.

Term Explanation Description

Access Key(s)

Keys that help you move between pages in a component. Identify the key by noting the underlined letter in a page tab name. To open a page, press Alt and the underlined letter, and then press Enter to execute the action.

Refer to: “Hot Keys and Access Keys”

Admit Term Admit Term is the term in which a student will enroll at the University. The standard format for indicating term is as follows:

The first integer “1” refers to the 21st century

The second and third integers “0 + n” refer to the year (e.g., 09 for 2009)

The last integer refers to the month in which the semester begins:

8 = fall

1 = J term

2 = spring

6 = summer

1168 = fall term of 2016

Admit Type In the SIS, a designation used to distinguish first-year applications from transfer applications.

FYR (First-year)

INT (Internal Transfer)

NGP (New Graduate/Professional Student)

RAP (Reapply)

TRF (Transfer)

Component A component consists of one or several pages within the same window. Components usually are pages that are related and that are required to be completed together.

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Term Explanation Description

Effective Date

Effective Dating is a method of affiliating a date with information in the system. You can:

Predate information to add historical data to your system

Postdate information in order to enter it before it actually goes into effect.

Create a historical record of information; rather than delete values, you enter a new value with a current effective date.

External Org

The system’s external organization tables allow storage/display of information about external organizations in the system.

School names and CEEB code data from the College Board have been loaded into the External Org table

High-level Key

A high level key is a field in a row of data that uniquely identifies that row from the other rows in the database.

Hot key(s) Navigation shortcuts using keyboard strokes. Access a full listing by pressing the Ctrl + K keys.

Refer to “SIS Hot Keys and Access Keys”

ID An ID is a unique identifier of information in the system.

Refer to “SIS Identifiers”

Keys / Key Fields

Keys and Key fields are fields that uniquely identify your data.

Last Name

First Name

ID

Operator(s) Operators enable you to conduct a search on limited amounts of information, such as first letters for names, descriptions, or IDs.

Begins with

Contains

=

Not =

Page To access individual pages within a component by clicking the page’s tab.

Page Controls

Page controls include several types of data entry fields, designed to offer different ways to enter and maintain information.

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Term Explanation Description

Relational Database

In the system, information is organized into tables that are linked or logically associated to each other.

Structural elements include:

Tables

Columns

Rows

Key fields

Run Control

A run control is a type of online page that is used to begin a process, such as a batch process to delete prospect records. Run control pages generally start a program that manipulates data.

Run Control ID

An identifier that, when paired with your User ID, uniquely identifies the process you are running.

“PROSDEL” to indicate your prospect delete process.

Search A standard search page is used to locate an existing record within a particular table.

Searching for a particular applicant within the Applicant table.

Search/ Match

Search/Match is the process of searching the database to determine whether a biographical/demographic ("bio-demo") record for an individual already exists.

Searching for a prospect record before adding the prospect to the database.

Search Record / Search Keys

The list of defined search keys that help you locate data.

The search keys are the fields you are prompted for on a search page.

Wildcard A symbol you can use for help in performing a search.

% = match one or more characters

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SIS Identifiers (IDs) An ID is a unique identifier of information in the system. U.Va. and the SIS use a variety of IDs as described in the table below. The Multiple Values column refers to whether or not it is permissible for a record to contain multiple values for a given ID Type. For example, because there are multiple External System ID types (SIS, HR, WhoIS), there can be multiple values. But a person can only have one EmplID.

ID Type Description Use Multiple Values?

EmplID

(ID)

The unique 7-digit number for every person record in the SIS.

The terms “EmplID” and “ID” are used interchangeably in the SIS.

This ID is the unique identifier for a record in the SIS. It is used to locate records in the system, to allow external systems to communicate with the SIS, and to allow transactions from external files to be posted to accounts in the system.

It is required as an identifier for all external loads to the SIS.

Applicants will use the Empl ID as a credential to obtain their password for the Applicant Portal. 

No

Student System ID

An identifying item in the Reporting Database (CSRPT)  

This is the same ID as the EmplID in the SIS 

No

National ID The Social Security number in SIS  

One of the parameters used in Search/Match

Used by Financial Aid for processing certain Financial Aid applications. 

Not displayed in Reporting views 

No

University ID / Campus ID

The 9-digit University ID (UID)  One of the parameters used in Search/Match

University ID is a key identifier for customer-facing offices because it is printed on the ID card.

University ID is not an identifier in the SIS so is placed in the Campus ID field. 

No

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ID Type Description Use Multiple Values?

Computing ID

Identifier used in systems at the University

Email address, login ID. No

External System ID

The SIS stores/displays IDs from systems external to the database.

Examples include different University systems such as the Oracle HR Employee Number, ISIS Person ID, WhoIs ID, Computing ID, different external application numbers for Graduate Architecture, Arts and Sciences, Commerce, Education, Engineering, Nursing, Darden, Law, and Medicine Application Numbers, the Common Application Number, and different external sources, such as the State Testing Identifier.

Provide a readily-available cross-reference with other systems that communicate with the SIS.

Provide a reference number for applications from graduate and professional schools at the University. Those numbers will also be stored in the External Application Number field in the SIS.

Yes

External Application Number

The SIS stores/displays the unique application number if application data is uploaded to the system from an external application product.

For Undergraduate Admission it is the Common Application Number.

Used as an identifier to link application data from external application products to the SIS.

Searchable if it is also stored as an External System ID.

Yes

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Hot Keys and Access Keys

Within the system, keyboard navigation is controlled by hot keys and access keys. You can access (and print) the table below from any page in the system by clicking Ctrl + k.

List of Hot Keys

Key Action

Alt 1 Executes different buttons depending on the page type:

Save button on the Toolbar in a page

OK button on a secondary page

Search or Add button on a Search or Lookup page

Alt 2 Return to Search

Alt 3 Next in List

Alt 4 Previous in List

Alt 5 Valid Lookup Values

Alt 6 Related Links

Alt 7 Insert Row in a grid or scroll area

Alt 8 Delete Row in grid or scroll area

Alt 0 Refreshes the page by invoking the Refresh button on the Toolbar

Alt . [Alt period] Next set of rows in grid or scroll area

Alt , [Alt comma] Previous set of rows in grid or scroll area

Alt / [Alt forward slash] Find in grid or scroll area

Alt ‘ [Alt prime] View All in grid or scroll area

Alt \ [Alt backslash] Toggle between Add and Update on the Search page

Ctrl J System Information

Ctrl K Keyboard Information

Ctrl Y Toggle menu between collapse and expand

Ctrl Tab Toggles focus through the frame set

Enter Invokes the following buttons where present: OK, Search, Lookup

Esc Cancel

List of Access Keys Alt 9 takes you to the Help Line

Alt \ [Alt backslash Enter] takes you to the Toolbar

Ctrl Z takes you to the Search box of the Menu

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Hints and Tips

Trouble accessing functionality or Help within the SIS? Please refer to the information below.

Browser Setup

Important! Clearing Your Browser Cache Clearing your cache will maintain current versions of pages for faster loading proper functionality. If your browser attempts to load a cached page that is not up-to-date, you are likely to get an error message. It is essential that you clear your cache; highly sensitive data is stored in the cache when you exit the SIS. Most browsers give you the choice to either automatically clear the browser’s cache on exit or to clear it manually. We recommend that you choose the automatic setting, unless you think you will always remember to clear the cache manually when you exit the SIS for the day. For instructions on clearing various browser caches, please refer to the link on the main http://its.virginia.edu/integratedsystem/sis/ page.

Configuration Guidelines

Background Though popup blockers and heightened internet security are necessary precautions for most Web browsing, some features of the SIS will not work properly without the configuration recommended below.

Preliminary Steps

1) To ensure that every aspect of the SIS will work, use Internet Explorer (IE).

2) Add SIS sites to the Local Intranet Security Zone (see steps below)

Adding SIS to the Local Intranet Security Zone (necessary for the Do It help mode to function) To add the SIS to the Local Intranet Security Zone, please follow the 10 steps below:

1. Open Internet Options (In IE, click Tools > Internet Options).

2. Click the Security Tab.

3. Click the “Local intranet” icon and then click Sites.

4. Click the Advanced button.

5. Delete anything currently in the field “Add this website to the zone”.

6. In this field, enter “*.admin.virginia.edu” without the quotation marks.

7. Be sure that “Require server verification (https:) for all sites in this zone” is unchecked, then click the Add button.

8. Click Close.

9. Click Ok. Click Ok again.

10. Close and then reopen IE.

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Third Party Popup Blockers If you are using a third party popup blocker, e.g., the ones included in Google Toolbar, you must temporarily disable them or set them to trust websites in the *.admin.virginia.edu subnet. This is an easy step to miss and causes a majority of issues reported by users.

Using a Non-IE Browser If you use a browser other than IE or have a concern about using the Local Intranet Security Zone then at a minimum, please add these addresses to your “Allow Sites” and/or trusted sites under your popup blocker:

https://*.admin.virginia.edu/ http://*.admin.virginia.edu/

Logging In To access the SIS you need

a SIS responsibility(s) requested through ESHARP) an UVA Identity Token (“token”) plugged into the USB port of your computer connection to the JointVPN profile

Your departmental LSP or computer help person will set up your VPN profile according to your role.

Log in through JointVPN

1. Access your VPN client through the Start menu or desktop icon.

2. Verify that Joint VPN is displaying, then click Select.

3. The Token Logon dialog box displays. Enter your token password and click OK.

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First time SIS log in 1. Open your browser and go to http://its.virginia.edu/integratedsystem/sis/.

(Fin/HR users can also access SIS Admin and Discoverer SIS from the Integrated System homepage: http://its.virginia.edu/integratedsystem/.)

2. Click the SIS Admin button.

3. The Login page displays.

4. Enter your UVA Computing ID and SIS password.

5. Click the CSPRD button. Your customized main menu displays.

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6. Click the Change My Password link and create a personal password.

Accessing Online Help The Help link is located in the top right corner of the page of most system pages.

Six simple steps to context-specific help (Do It! mode)

Access to the Do It! help mode is from within an Internet Explorer browser only. To get step by step instruction on a particular page or process, follow these 6 simple steps.

1. Navigate to the specific page for which you need help, e.g., Add/Update a Person as above.

2. Click the Help link in the upper right corner of the page. 3. Help in the SIS is context-specific: it displays topics that include the page from which you

clicked Help. As needed, toggle the View List link to View Filtered Outline.

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4. Navigate to and highlight the topic with which you need help.

5. Click Do It! to view a training topic for the task you are performing. As you move through the steps of the task itself, you can follow the recommended steps in the training topic.

6. In the Do It! window, click to advance to the next step in the task. Note: the Do It!

window may initially be hiding behind another window.

To close the Help topic, click .

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For revisiting training topics 1. After logging into the system, click the Help link in the top right corner of a page. 2. Help in the SIS is context-specific: it displays topics that include the page from which you

clicked help. As needed, you can toggle the View List link to View Filtered Outline.

3. Highlight the topic you wish to review. 4. Select the Try It! playback modes to view the training topic. You can also click Print It! to

print a job aid.

We recommend that you review the 3 topics highlighted above (Setting Your User Defaults, Personalizing Your Home Page, and Using Personal Preferences) to ensure that the system is set up for your optimal convenience.